Manual cigarette rolling machines

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a manual cigarette making machine of the twin roller and endless band type provided with an adjustable band guide member whereby the effective length of a tobacco and cigarette wrapper receiving band loop between the rollers may be altered and cigarettes of alternative diameters may be made. The guide member has a rib or node extending from a circular central portion, the member being mounted in end plates and having a lever at one end thereof for rotating the same. The rib or node has an edge which engages the internal surface of the band and upon rotation thereof, controls the size of the loop. The device includes a pair of band engaging rollers, one of which is mounted in J-shaped slots in the end walls so that it can be moved toward and away from the other to permit the formation of a tobacco receiving trough within the loop.

United States Patent [191 Crisp et a1.

[ MANUAL CIGARETTE ROLLING MACHINES [75] Inventors: David John Crisp;John Robert Brown, both of London, England [73] Assignee: Rizla Limited,Pontypridd, Wales [22] Filed: Oct. 11, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 405,595

[52] US. Cl. 131/47; 131/51; 131/52 [51] Int. Cl. A24C 5/44 [58] Fieldof Search 131/47, 58,51, 52

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 842,886 2/1907 Hofimann131/47 X 1,087,230 2/1914 Garwood 131/47 2,415,910 2/1947 Roes 131/472,436,015 2/1948 Morris l3l/47 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 886,66210/1943 France 131/47 [451 Oct. 14, 1975 Primary Examiner-Joseph S.Reich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Imirie, Smiley & Linn ABSTRACT Theinvention provides a manual cigarette making machine of the twin rollerand endless band type provided with an adjustable band guide memberwhereby the efiective length of a tobacco and cigarette wrapperreceiving band loop between the rollers may be altered and cigarettes ofalternative diameters may be made. The guide member has a rib or nodeextending from a circular central portion, the member being mounted inend plates and having a lever at one end thereof for rotating the same.The rib or node has an edge which engages the internal surface of theband and upon rotation thereof, controls the size of the loop. Thedevice includes a pair of band engaging rollers, one of which is mountedin J-shaped slots in the end walls so that it can be moved toward andaway from the other to permit the formation of a tobacco receivingtrough within the loop.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 14,1975 Sheet2of3 3,911,933

MANUAL (IIGARETTE ROLLING MACHINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to manual cigarette rolling machines and more particularly tomanual cigarette roll ing machines of the kind in which the cigarette isrolled by the action of an endless band.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention there is provided amanual cigarette rolling machine comprising first and second guidesmounted in a body, an endless band encircling and movable round theguides, one of the guides being movable between a first portion adjacentthe other guide, in which position the band can form a substantiallyclosed loop between the guides, and a second position spaced from saidother guide, in which position the loop is open to receive tobacco, anda third guide which engages the band and which is locatable in at leasttwo positions, the construction and arrangement being such that movementof the third guide from one of said positions to another alters theeffective size of said substantially closed loop.

In one preferred arrangement according to the invention, the third guideprovides a cam-like surface for sliding engagement with the band and ispivotable into the two or more positions thereof.

The third guide may conveniently be disposed within the endless band.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a rear perspectiveview of a cigarette rolling machine according to the invention inelevation,

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the machine of FIG. l,

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views showing the two positionsrespectively of the third guide.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention in elevation,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a plan of the machine shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4,

and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and2 of the drawings, from which the endless band has been omitted forreasons of clarity, two parallel rollers 10, 11 are rotatably mounted ina body 12 which is in this instance a stiff but resilient one-pieceplastics moulding. The frame comprises two side plates 13, 14 and achannel-section portion 15 interconnecting the side plates. Beneath thechannel-section portion 15 each side plate has two lugs 17 which arespaced from each other and from the bottom face of the channel sectionportion and which project towards the other side plate for supporting astandard pack of cigarette papers. The axle of roller 11 is disposed inbearing holes in the side plates, but the axle of roller is slidably androtatably mounted in J- section slots 16 in the side plates. As shown inFIG. 2,

the slots 16 are disposed so that roller 10 is movable from a positionadjacent roller 11 to a position further away. i I

The side plates also provide bearing holes for a camlike guide member 18extending between the plates. The guide member is a one-piece plasticsmoulding and includes shaft parts engaged in the bearing holesand acentral portion 20 which has a radiallyprojecting rib 21, the radiallyouter edge vof which is smoothly rounded. The member has a boss 22having an actuating arm 23 at its end outside the side plate 14. A U-shaped slot 24 is formed completely through side plate 14 so as todefine a resilient finger therewithin. The free end of the resilientfinger has an integrally moulded hemispherical protrusion 25 formedthereon,

and the boss 22 has an axially projecting detent 26 which, on rotationof arm 23 in either direction, engages and slightly deflects theresiliently supported protrusion 25 so as to snap, over and becomelocated between the protrusion and one or other of two projecting stops28, 29 on the outer face of side plate 14. 1

The end part 30 of the guide member remote from the operating arm isbifurcated and has an enlargement which is chamfered to enable the endpart to be passed through the bearing hole in the side plate 13 tosecure the guide member, but to prevent reverse movement of the end partfrom the bearing hole.

An endless flexible band 31 (shown in FIGS. 3A and 38) made from asuitable fabric encloses the two rollers and the central portion 20, 21of the guide member 18. In operating the machine to roll a cigarette,the roller 10 is moved to the end of slots 16 remote from the roller 11and the band is depressed between the rollers l0, 11 to form a trough inwhich a quantity of tobacco is placed. The roller 10 is then moved tothe end of its slots adjacent the other roller whilst the tobacco islightly held down so that the band forms a substantially closed loopbetween the two rollers. The rollers are then rotated together bymanipulation of the band with the fingers to shape the tobacco into aroll. Thereafter, a cigarette paper is fed between the rollers, the gumon the paper is moistened and the rollers are again rotated throughmanual movement of the band to complete the formation of the cigarette.The roller 10 can then be manually moved to the end of the slots 16remote from the roller 11 to allow the cigarette to be extracted. Itwill be understood that the rotational position of the rib 21 on theguide member 19 controls the length of the manually moved band 31 andtherefore controls the size of the loop 32 in which the cigarette isformed. When the guide member is in one of it s positions, illustratedin FIG. 3A, the rib constrains the band to extend over a shorter guidedpath than when the rib is in its other position, illustrated in FIG. 3B.Thus the loop 32, which comprises the excess length of band 31, isgreater, giving a larger diameter of cigarette in the posi tion shown inFIG. 3A than in the position shown in FIG. 38. Therefore, a cigarette ofeither of two diameters can be rolled by selection of the appropriaterotational setting of the operating arm 22 of the guide member andplacing an appropriate amount of tobacco in the trough. Intermediatepositions for the operating arm and guide may be provided for ifdesired.

Caps may be added to the side plates 13, 14 to concea] the ends of therollers and the guide.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show another embodiment of the invention the maincomponents of which carry the same reference numerals as in thearrangement of FIGS. 1 to 3, but the endless band 31 is indicated inbroken lines. In this instance however, the side plates 43, 44 areseparate from each other, and the complete assembly of the side plates,rollers 10, ll, guide 18 and endless band 31 is slid into a generallyU-shaped body member 35 which is transversely cut from an extrudedaluminum alloy channel. As shown in FIG. 4, member 35 runs down from thetop of side plate 43, across the bottom to side plate 44, and up to thetop of plate 44. The upright sides of the U-shaped channel have interiorgroves, and the side plates 43, 44 are press-fit into the grooves withflanges 36 on the side plates abutting one end of the body member 35 asshown in FIG. 6. The guide 18 is pivotally mounted by its ends inbearing holes in the side plates as before but, as shown in FIG. 5, hasa projecting lever arm 34 at one end. Lever arm 34 enables the guide tobe rotated into one or other of two positions as in the arrangement ofFIGS. 1 to 3. As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, a radial projection 38 isdisposed at the opposite end of the guide from the lever arm 34 andextends substantially in the opposite radial direction from the leverarm. The projection 38 has a flat inner face 45 and a convexly curvedouter axial face 39 which, as the projection moves through an are as theguide is rotated, snaps to one side or the other of a part-sphericalprotrusion 40 carried on the end of a resilient finger 4]. Finger 41 isformed integrally with the side plate 44 by cutting a generally U-shapedslot 42 completely therethrough. The guide is thus retained resilientlyin either of two angular positions. It will however be seen that byappropriately shaping the projection 38 to provide a series of peaks,each curved like the surface 39, a series of located angular positionsof the guide 18 can be provided in addition to the two end positionsdescribed above.

As in the other arrangements the central portion 20, 21 of the guide 18is disposed within the endless band and can be rotated by means of thelever arm to adjust the length of the guide path of the band so as toadjust the length of the loop 32 between the rollers 10, 11.

We claim: 1. A manual cigarette rolling machine of the kind including anendless band manually rollable around and in contact with a fixed axisroller and a shiftable axis roller mounted in end plates of a casing,said band forming a tobacco and cigarette wrapper receiving loop betweensaid rollers, the improvement comprising a guide member pivotallymounted in the end plates about a fixed axis and within the endlessband, the said guide member having a radially extending camming surfacein sliding contact with the interior surface of the band and furtherhaving a lever arm formed at one end of said guide member to enablerotation of said guide member between pre-set angular positions, saidcamming surface cooperating with said rollers to define a guide path forsaid endless band, said guide path having a length adjustable byrotataion of said camming surface of said guide means whereby thediameter of said loop may be varied.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the said guide membercomprises a cylindrical central body portion formed with a projectingrib.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one end of thecasing is made from a resilient material and has a substantiallyU-shaped slot therethrough to defne a resilient finger; and wherein saidguide member has a radial projection on an end thereof for engagementwith and deflection of said resilient finger on movement of said guidemember between its pre-set angular positions.

4. A machine according to claim 1, further including a generallyU-shaped metal body having upright side walls defining grooves, andwherein the end plates are press-fit into said grooves.

1. A manual cigarette rolling machine of the kind including an endlessband manually rollable around and in contact with a fixed axis rollerand a shiftable axis roller mounted in end plates of a casing, said bandforming a tobacco and cigarette wrapper receiving loop between saidrollers, the improvement comprising a guide member pivotally mounted inthe end plates about a fixed axis and within the endless band, the saidguide member having a radially extending camming surface in slidingcontact with the interior surface of the band and further having a leverarm formed at one end of said guide member to enable rotation of saidguide member between pre-set angular positions, said camming surfacecooperating with said rollers to define a guide path for said endlessband, said guide path having a length adjustable by rotataion of saidcamming surface of said guide means whereby the diameter of said loopmay be varied.
 2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the said guidemember comprises a cylindrical central body portion formed with aprojecting rib.
 3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least oneend of the casing is made from a resilient material and has asubstantially U-shaped slot therethrough to defne a resilient finger;and wherein said guide member has a radial projection on an end thereoffor engagement with and deflection of said resilient finger on movementof said guide member between its pre-set angular positions.
 4. A machineaccording to claim 1, further including a generally U-shaped metal bodyhaving upright side walls defining grooves, and wherein the end platesare press-fit into said grooves.